Engine starter



ou. 15, 193s. R. P; LANSING' v 2,017,464

ENGINE STARTER Filed April 25,` 1932 2 sheets-.smet 1 l Oct. 15, 1935. l R. P. LANSING 1 2,017,464

ENGINE STARTER P iled 'April 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NVENToR. Rayma/1a' 7. Lans/ny Patented Oct. 415, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE STARTER.l

New Jersey Application April 25, 19,32, Serial No. 607,459

6 Claims.

more particularly to a starter of the inertia type.

An object of the presentI invention is to provide novel transmission means in a starter of the foregoing type whereby energy may be stored in the inertia member of the starter and thereafter utilized to start the engine.

A further object is to provide an engine starter of the foregoing type embodied in a novel construction possessing practical merit and insuring eiciency, flexibility and reliability in operation. In this connection, a feature of the invention which provides extreme flexibility and adaptability to varying conditions, is the provision of means whereby it is possible to accelerate the inertia member of the starter by actuation of a cranking shaft, the angular position of which is capable of broad. variation with respect to the axis of the member of the gear train with which it engages. A

Another object of the invention is to provide in connection with the angle varying and transmission features above referred to, a novel gear construction making it possible to accelerate the inertia member by rotation of the cranking shaft in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction without producing corresponding reversal in the direction of rotation of the inertia or engineengaging members.

These and other objects will become apparent upon inspection of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is to be expressly understood, however,

that the drawings are intended to serve merely as an illustration of one mode of embodying the invention in a practical form, and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of certain of the parts appearing in a transverse section taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section with certain parts broken away for clearness of disclosure, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1. th starting mechanism therein shown comprises a flywheel 4 adapted to rotate an engine engaging member 5 having clutch jaws 6 movable into (Cl. 12S- 179) This invention relates to engine starters and' drivingengagement with a complementary clutch member provided on an engine crankshaft (not shown) or an extension thereof. The starting apparatus is contained in a housing constituted by an inner section 8, an intermediate 5 section 9 and a liywheel cover section |0,the sections being removably secured together in any suitable manner, and the inner section 8 being provided with a flange to facilitate mounting of the starter on the crankcase, a portion of 10 which is diagrammatically shown at |2. The flywheel is adapted to be rotated atv high speed in order that suilicient energy may be stored therein for cranking the engine, and a gear train is preferably provided for transmitting the energy 16 stored in the iiywheel to the engine engaging member 5; the gear train being so constituted that the member 5 will be rotated at a much lower speed than that of the flywheel. For this purpose a pinion rod I6 is firmly heldin the cen- 20 tral bore of the hub portion I8 of the flywheel and meshes with a combined gear and clutch member constituted by a toothed ring or gear 20 surrounding a set of friction discs |9 and 2|, the former of which are connected to a cylindri- 25 cal extension 23 of an internally splined collar or gear 24; the latter discs 2| being held by means to be described, for rotation in unison with the ring 20.

The se clutch discs are normally held in posi- 30 tion to transmit a predetermined torque between the members 20 and 24, such setting being effected by provision of coiled compression springs 26 adjustably held in place by screws 21 threadedly engaging openings 28 provided at angular 35 intervals of equal radial distances from the center of a pressure or abutment plate 29. A similar pressure plate 30, adapted to carry a coverplate 3|, is preferably provided at the opposite side of the clutch assembly, the plate 30 being en- 40 gaged by flanged rim 32 of the spring containing.` thimbles 33, passing through openings in the discs 2|. Thus these thimbles also serve to drivably connect these discswith the plate 29. The plate 30 has also a hub 35 surrounding the splined shaft 36 and spaced therefrom by provision of a pair of bearing sleeves 31, 38. As shown, the shaft 36 is rotatably supported at one end by bearing member 40 received in a pocket 4| of the 50 casing section 8, while the other end is supported by a similar bearing 42 received in a similar pocket 43 in the casing section 9. Suitable means, such as adjustable nut 45 and the shoulder 46 may be provided for locating the shaft 36 in 55 proper position longitudinally of the enclosing casing.

The means for drivably` connecting plate 29 with ring 20,. as well as for causing the friction clutch members I9 and 2| to yield in the event of an excessive load thereon, comprises a plurality of balls 48 disposed in pockets 49 formed in inwardly extending lugs 50 formed circumferentially about the inner surface of the toothed ring 20, in which pockets the balls 48 are normally held by the pressure of the plate 29, the

latter having elongated pockets 52 to receive thel balls. On the opposite side of the clutch disc assemblyis provided a second group of balls 5| associated with the plate 38 and acting to take both the radial thrust loads, as well as constituting a frictionless supporting means for the member 20. The means for drivably connecting the cornbined clutch and gear member above described with the engine engaging member 5 preferably includes a toothed portion 55 on the shaft 36 intermediate the collar 24 and the bearing 48, the said toothed portion constituting a pinion adapted to mesh with a spur gear 56 having a short toothed-extension 51 on one side thereof, within which is mounted a bearing 58, in which, witli the aid of sleeve 59, the inner'` end of the pinion justably holds in place the inner race of the bearing 6|; the portion 66 being followed by a coarsely threaded portion 63 constituting in eiect a screw shaft adapted to receive a correspondingly interr nally threaded sleeve or nut 64 slidably splined at its outer end to the engine engaging member 5 as indicated at 65. With this construction it is apparent that nut 64, due to its inertia, will have a tendency to thread itself along the shaft 63 when the latter begins to rotate; but such threading action is delayed until the' ywheel has been sufficiently accelerated, the delay being effected by the means next to be described.

As shown best in Fig. 3, the means for delaying relative longitudinal movement between the members 63 and 64, and thus delaying the engagement of the jaws 6 with the engine member 1, preferably takes the form of a vertically disposed rock shaft mounted in a boss 8| extending from one side of the casing section 8 -and adapted to receive at its upper end'a crank arm 82 for manual or other suitable operation. At its lower end there is secured a similar crank ,arm 83, on which is positioned a` finger 84 engageable with an annular groove 85 formed between the peripheral flanges 86 and 81 on the nut 64. A spring backed plunger 88 is mounted in the boss 8| in such a manner as to normally be urged by spring 89 into engagement with a groove 90 milled in the surface of the pin 88 as indicated.

In Fig. 1 a coiled compression spring 10 surrounds a pin 1| serving to couple the engine member 5 with a disc 13 held in place in the nut 64 against a shoulder 14 by suitable means such as split ring 15; the degree of compression of the s'iring 10 being regulable by adjustment of a nut The spring backed plunger 88 by virtue of its holding action on pin 80 insures that before the meshing action can be successfully inaugurated,

the force applied to the lever 82 will be suicient to produce meshing with a snap action, while in the event of any difficulty in the proper meshing of the members 6 and 1, the spring 10, by

momentarily yielding, will allow these teeth to 5 align themselves more perfectly.

As an aid to the plunger 88 in maintaining the nut 64 in the non-meshing position during the period of flywheel energization, a coiled torsion spring 68 (Fig. 3) is Wound about the pin 80, with l0 one end held to the boss 8| and the end engag ing the lever 83 in such a manner as to urge the nger 84 to the'left, as viewed in Fig. 1. Thus the spring 68 also'acts (through the intermediate nut 64 and the coupling pin 1|) to insure a posi- 15 tive return of the member 5 to the demeshed position as soon as the engine starts. y

In order to seal the starter against the infiltration of oil from the crankcase or the entry of any other matter which might impair theoperation 20 of the starter, there is preferably provided a cup shaped member 9| preferably formed of metal but having at its outer end a flange 92 adapted to be clamped between flange of the starter housing and the mounting ange I2 of the en- 25 gine crankcase, indicated in broken lines.l As shown, this cup member 9| is fitted over the inner end of the casing section 8, at which point it is shouldered to retain in place the flange 93 of a guide sleeve 94 coacting with the engine member 30 5; the said sleeve 94 also serving to hold in place.

with the aid of a second disc 95 a sealing washer 96 of non-metallic material. The members just described alsoserve to limit the inward movement of the engine member 5 by virtue of their, being engaged by the peripheral enlargement 91 provided on the engine member 5.

The novel angularly adjustable and reversible means for, energizing the flywheel through the gear train andI clutch above described, is herein 40 shown`as including a shaft 99 rotatably mounted with the aid of a sleeve |08 in the inwardly extending boss 98 of acylindrical cage or housing |0|, the said cage being adjustable by rotation along the two arcuate surfaces provided in the (6 laterally extending portions |82 and |83 of the casing sections 8 and Vv9, respectively. By this means the shaft '99 may be set at diierent times or under different conditions in various positions angularly of the plane on which the section of- 50 Fig. 1 is taken, thus making it possible to adapt the starter to varying installation conditions. As indicated in Fig. 2, the shaft 99 may be s et relatively to the casing sections 8 and 9 in any one of a large number of different angular positions over a range of approximately one hundred and eighty degrees, by drilling a line of holes |20,

a few degrees apart about a portion of the cylindrical walls of the laterally extending faces |02 and |03, and drilling a line of holes |2I, of a 60 lesser degree apart, through the wall of the cylindrical cage |0|, as indicated at |2|; the holes |20 in the casing section |03 being preferably counterbored as indicated at |22 in Fig. 1 for the reception of the heads of screws |23 (Fig. 2) which may 05 serving for attachment of a handcrank or other operating means. At its inner end, the member 99 has adjustably secured thereto, a bevel pinion |86 meshing with a corresponding bevel pinion 75 |01. As shown, the latter pinion is integral with a shaft |08 supported in the casing 9 by bearing member H0, its other end being received in counterbored portion I I2 of a spur gear H4. Also as shown, gear H4 meshes with the pinion 51 and has an elongated hub H5 with a reduced portionl I6 rotatably supported by the casing section 8 with the aid of a bearing member |I1'.

Preferably, gear ||4 is further 'provided with an internally toothed annular rim H8; and with' the .shaft I 08 in the position shown in Fig. 1, this rim H9 meshes with the longitudinally extending parallel portions I|9 of the bevel teeth of the pinion |.01,the ,member |01 being thus a combination bevel gear and clutch. A second spur pinion |24 is provided near the opposite end of shaft |08 for a purpose to be explained.'

In operation, the flywheel is energized from an exterior source of power through the shafts |05 and 99, bevel gears |06, |01, the gears and pinions H4, 51, 56, 55, member 24, the friction clutch discs I9 and 2|, and the gears 20 and I6. During this period of energization, the shaft 63 and nut 64 rotate as a unit with the' gears56. When, however, the flywheel has been sufficiently energized, the lever 82 is actuated to cause s uch relative longitudinal movement through the instrumentalities above described, whereupon the member 6 is caused to mesh with the engine member 1 and thus impart initial cranking rotation to the engine. v

As soon as the. engine has, by the foregoing means, been started in operation under its own power, the resulting excess in speed of the engine member 1 and starter member 6 and nut 64 over that of the screw shaft 63 will cause a. reverse longitudinal action on themember 64, thusin-` l suring its return to the position indicated in Fig.

l; the member 5 being at the same time returned through the action o. the coupling pin 1 I, in conjunction with the inclined contourof the abutting jaw teeth.

Ifin any given installation it is considered more convenient to rotate crankshaft |05 in the reverse direction, but without desiring to change the direction of, rotation of the engine member, such a result may be obtained simply by reversing the shaft |08, end for end, thereby bringing the clutch |24 into mesh with the internally toothed rim I I8 of the gear I I4, the combination spurand bevel pinion |01 now being disposed in abutting lrelation to the bearing H0, while the end |25 the shaft, the pinions |06 and |01 ycontinue to be in mesh, but since the pinion |01 is now disposed on the opposite side of a plane parallel to the said pinion, and passing through the axis of rotation of the pinion |06, it will continue to rotate in the same direction about its own axis, notwithstanding the reversal in direction of rotation of the cranking shaft 99. i

While the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, and above described in detail, is regarded as of considerable practical merit, it is to be understood that variations may be made in the arrangement of Athe gears and the other` elements of the assembly, and such variations as are not expressly prohibited by the language of the broadare enclosed in a sectional casing through one end of which the engine engaging member extends, the combination with said driving member and engine engaging member, means for energizing said drivi'ng member including a laterally displaceable shaft disposed transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of said engine-engaging member, means including interchangeable clutch teeth mounted on a common longitudinally disposed shaft, said shaft being'shiftable end for end for drivably connecting said transversely disposed shaft with said -driving member, a pair of casing sections having parallel bearing surfaces to support said laterally displaceable shaft, and common means extending through both said parallel surfaces to retain said laterally displaceable shaft in any selected one of a plurality of positions.

2. In an engine starter of the type wherein an engine engaging member, a. driving member, and motion transmitting connections therebetween,

are enclosed in a sectional casing throughone v metrically opposite lpositions in the plane of said laterally displaceable shaft,a pair of casing sections having parallel bearing surfaces to support said laterally displaceable shaft, and common means extending through both said parallel surfaces to retain said'shaft in any selected one of a plurality of positions.

3. In an engine starting mechanism comprising a driving member, an engine engaging member, and a gear train drivably connecting said members, the combination with said gear train and members of a sectional casing enclosing Vand supporting said gear train, said casing including two laterally extending spacedapart portions, a shaft extending through the space thus provided into operative engagement with said gear train, and supporting means surrounding said shaft, said supporting means being in the form of a substantially cylindrical member, the outer cylindrical surface of which is slidable along surfaces of said laterally extending portions in response to angular adjustment of said shaft about a point on the longitudinal axis thereof.

4. In engine starting mechanism comprising a driving member, van engine engaging member, and a gear train drivably connecting said members, the combination with said gear train and members of a sectionalcasing enclosing and supporting said gear train, said casing including two laterally extending spaced apart portions, a shaft extending through the space thus provided into4 operative engagement with said gear train, and supporting means surrounding said shaft, said supporting means being in the form of a substantially cylindrical member,` the outer cylindrical surface of which is slidable along surfaces of saidlaterally extending portions in response to angular adjustment of said shaft about the axis of rotation of a member of said gear train.

5. In engine starting mechanism comprising a driving member, an engine engaging member, and a gear train drivably connecting said members, the combination with said gear train and members of a sectional casing enclosing and .supporting said gear'train, seid casing including two laterally extending spaced apart portions, a

shaft extending through the space thus provided into, operative engagement with said gear train, and supporting means surrounding said shaft and supported at either side on said laterally extending portions, said supporting means being in f 'the form of a substantially cylindrical member the outer cylindrical surface of which is slidable along surfaces of said laterally extending portions in response to angular adjustment of said shaft, about the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical member.

6. In an engine starter of the type wherein an engine engaging member, a driving member, and motion transmitting connections therebetween, are enclosed in a sectional casing through one end of which the engine engaging member extends,

the combination with'said driving member and engine engaging member, means for energizing said driving member including a laterally displaceable shaft disposed transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of said engine-engaging member, means comprising a member having annular internally toothed portions, a gearV on said transversely disposed shaft, an intermediate member having teeth adapted to mesh with both said gear and said internally toothed annular member, and a second set of teeth adapted to mesh with said internally toothed member only upon end to end reversal of said intermediate member, a pair of casing sections having parallel bearing surfaces to support said laterally displaceable shaft, and means common to both said parallel surfaces to retain said shaft in any selected one of a plurality of positions.

' RAYMOND P. LANSING. 

